MLB DFA List: Players Facing Trade or Release

The limbo period for major League Baseball players designated for assignment can stretch far beyond the typical seven days, particularly around the holidays. Catcher Sam Huff of the Texas Rangers was designated on December 23rd, 2024, and remained in this uncertain state for 16 days before being claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants on January 8th, 2025.

Did you know? – MLB teams have seven days to trade or release a player after designating them for assignment. This window is frequently enough shorter due to the 48-hour waiver process.

Holiday Freeze Impacts Player Transactions

A quiet period for front offices might potentially be extending the wait for players on the move.

• When a player is designated for assignment (DFA), their team has up to seven days to trade or release them.
• The waiver process typically takes 48 hours, limiting trade windows to five days.
• Recent cases, like Sam Huff’s, suggest a slowdown in DFA resolutions during the late December and early january holiday period.
• Several players designated in mid-December remain unresolved as of today, possibly due to the holiday pause.

Typically, when a team designates a player for assignment, they remove that player from the 40-man roster and enter a period where the club can attempt to trade them. If a trade isn’t possible-perhaps because the trade deadline has passed or the offseason hasn’t officially begun-the team can place the player on outright waivers or simply release them. This process usually takes no more then seven days, with the 48-hour waiver claim period eating up a significant portion of that time, leaving a maximum of five days to negotiate a trade.

Though, the system appears to experience a slowdown during the holiday season. While there’s been no official proclamation regarding a change in rules, multiple instances in recent years indicate a “freeze” on the DFA clock between late December and early January. The case of Sam Huff exemplifies this, as his DFA limbo extended well beyond the usual timeframe.

This morning, reports highlighted two players designated for assignment on December 17th, with expectations for resolution today. As of publication, no updates have been reported on their status. It’s plausible these situations have been quietly resolved while many in the media and communications sectors are taking time off. Alternatively,their DFA clocks may have been temporarily frozen,prolonging their uncertainty into January.

Here’s a chronological list of players currently designated for assignment without a reported resolution:

December 17th

December 19th

December 20th

December 22nd

december 23rd

Pro tip – Teams strategically use the DFA process to clear roster space for new acquisitions. Players DFA’d aren’t necessarily “cut”; they can be traded or claimed by other teams.

Why is this happening? The slowdown appears to be linked to reduced activity in front offices during the holiday season. Many baseball operations personnel take vacation time, leading to fewer trades and waiver claims being processed. This isn’t an official rule change, but rather an observed pattern.

Who is affected? Players designated for assignment are the most directly impacted, facing uncertainty about their future. Teams are also affected, as their roster adaptability is limited until the DFA process is resolved. The San Francisco Giants benefitted from this delay, claiming Sam Huff after a prolonged wait.

What is the impact? The “freeze” extends the period of uncertainty